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Ciphers

tags:: #Dooley #Ciphers #Encryption #Atomic

What is a Cipher:

  • A cipher is not a hidden message that cannot be seen, rather it is a message that is completely visible to the human eye.
  • According to Dooley, "a cipher uses fixed sized elements like single letters or two- or three-letter groups that are divorced from meaning in the language" (Dooley 5). A cipher replaces the message and is sent to another person who has the key to decrypt it
  • There are different types of ciphers; a substitution cipher replaces the letters with symbols or other letters, the other type will have a rearranged alphabet used and there will be a key that has the shifted alphabet.
  • A transposition cipher explained by Dooley, "Transposition ciphers transform the plaintext into ciphertext by rearranging the letters of the plaintext according to a specific rule and key." (Dooley 10).
  • A popular cipher is known as the Caesar shift.

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